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American Morning

Missile Defense Main Focus in Washington Today

Aired May 01, 2001 - 09:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now from the Middle East to today's two big issues in Washington, missile defense and efforts to bring home the U.S. Navy spy plane that is still in China.

CNN White House correspondent Major Garrett joining us now from the White House with the latest. Major, first, let's start with efforts to get that spy plane back on American ground.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Yes. A five-member crew, a team of experts from Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of that crippled EP-3 surveillance plane, are due to arrive on Hainan Island sometime this morning Eastern daylight time.

What they'll do, once they obtain access to the plane, is to see whether or not by repair it can be actually flown off the island or if it so thoroughly damaged because of that April 1 midair collision with the Chinese fighter jet that it must be disassembled and brought back to the United States through some other means and, of course, the whole question of whether or not the Chinese government will release the plane is still up in the air.

So a couple of things have to happen first. This team has to receive access to the plane. Then the Chinese government has to release it by whichever means, it being flown out or it being taken out on a barge.

The U.S. ambassador to China, Joseph Prueher, says he believes that access to the plane is crucial and also resolving its status key to removing an irritant from U.S.-Chinese relations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH PRUEHER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: I hope they'll get a look at it, get a -- figure out -- make an assessment -- that's what we have to do first -- and then get on to get that out. In my view, that -- the airplane and -- getting the crew out, of course, was most important. The airplane is sort of a corrosive element right now but -- in our relationship. It's a reminder of a hard spot, and we need to clean that up and get on with things.

(END VIDEO CLIP) GARRETT: Now a Pentagon spokesman tells CNN that he -- the Pentagon expects that this crew of experts will be able to at least receive access to the plane sometime by the end of the week, could be sooner than that, but it may be delayed a little bit -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Major, meanwhile today, President Bush expected to make a major speech on the future of missile defense. What can you tell us about that?

GARRETT: Well, it's the beginning of a process that this president is going to begin to put his own thumb print, his own stamp, if you will, on the entire future of U.S. nuclear policy, turning it from offensive to defensive, if you will, and putting to bed a lot of Cold War ideas that have continued to permeate U.S. defense war policy, even though the Cold War ended in 1989.

In the speech the president's going to give this afternoon to the National Defense University, he's going to call for a drastic reduction in U.S. nuclear stockpiles. There are currently 7,000 nuclear warheads the U.S. has. He may propose reducing that below 2,000.

But, also, he will call for the rapid development and eventual deployment of what the White House calls a global missile defense shield, which is to shield the United States and its allies from the accidental launch of a nuclear weapon or one launched by a rogue nation.

The White House has taken care to bring along European allies. The president talked to many of them yesterday, giving them a heads up to what he was going to say today, and the White House believes this speech is crucial to beginning the process of changing U.S. nuclear strategy -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Major Garrett at the White House. Thank you.

We want to let you know that CNN will bring you live coverage of President Bush's remarks at National Defense University. That is set to take place at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, 11:30 a.m. Pacific.

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